Coin controlled lock mechanism



July 20, 1954 H. BElMEL.

COIN coNTRoLLED Loox MECHANISM 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed NOV. 8, 1950 July20, 1954 H. L. BEIMEL COIN CONTROLLED LOCK MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Filed Nov. 8, 1950 Patented July 20, 1954 ITED STATES TEN 'l`V OFFICECOIN CONTROLLED LOCK MECHANISM Henry lL. Beimel, Cambridge, Mass.,assignor to American Locker Company, Inc., Boston, Mass., a corporationof Delaware Application November 8, 1950, Serial No.191,710

(Cl. 19d- 92) predetermined size in the lock.. Coins of smaller sizedeposited into prior locks of the nature herein disclosed passedthroughthe lock and into the cash box. tained by customers have causedconsiderable dissatisfaction and ill will. The primary object of theinvention herein resides in the provision of means for automaticallyreturning such smaller coins to the customers and thereby eliminatingthis objection.

ll/ly improved lock is constructed to intercept only the coins ofpredetermined size, a return chute being provided for returning thesmaller coins to the customers. The lock furthermore embodies meanscooperating with the locking bolt for deiiectingthe intercepted coinsinto a coin receiving chamber when the bolt is moved from its normallyretained position to the other position and the coin released. Theproduction of an improved lock embodying these novel features comprisesa further object of the invention.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood andappreciated from the following description of preferred embodimentsthereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in theaccompanying drawings in which: Fig. l is a front elevation of a lockembodying my invention, broken away to show the bolt in lockingposition,

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof partially broken away,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the lock mechanism showing theparts in normal unlocked position,

Fig. 1i is a similar view showing the position of the parts when thelock has been turned to lock ing position and the intercepted coinreleased,

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partially broken away, showing thedeflecting of the intercepted coin into the coin receiving chamber,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary rear elevation of Fig. 5.

The invention is particularly applicable to coin controlled locks of thenature shown in Patent 1,640,605 and, for purposes of description, Ihave herein disclosed my improved lock mechanism as applied to a parcelchecking cabinet and requiring the insertion of a twenty-live cent cointo Losses thus inadvertently sus releasethelock which-is normally heldin the unlocked position of Fig. 3.

In theV drawings, @indicates generally a key cylinder equipped with theusual locking tumblers adaptedto be manipulated by a key l l which inthe type Vof lock illustrated serves as an identifying checkfby whichthe customer may recoveror obtain access to the belongings which he hasdeposited in a parcel locker.

The key cylinderlis provided near its outer end with a locking bolt l2,adapted to be moved with the cylinder from the unlocked position shownin Fig. 3 to the locked position shown in Fig; l. A fragment ofV thefront plate of the locker cabinet frame is shown in Fig. l and indicatedby reference character i3. The front plate It of the lockproper isdisposed over an opening in the plate i3, its lower end being providedwith a lip l5 engaging the inner face of the plate i3 and its upper endbeing equipped with a lock i6 by which the plate I4 and the partsassembled thereonare detachably located in position in the cabi@ net. Arecorder Il may be connected to the lock so as to be operated by eachactuation of the lock, and whereby the number of lock actuations, andconsequently the number of coins deposited, is recorded.

The front plate i4 is provided beneath the key cylinder with a coin sloti8, through which coins can be inserted edgewise into the coin receivingchannel i9 rearwardly oi the plate. The lock illustrated is adapted tooperate on twenty-live cent coins 2l but not on coins 23 of smallersize. When a twenty-ve cent coin is inserted it is held in the channelon and between a shoulder 20 and the laterally disposed end 22 of an arm24 pivoted at 25 and, as thus supported, the coin is in position to beengaged by a feeler 26. The feeler is at the bottom end of a lever alsopivoted at 25 and having an `arm 28 provided with a tooth 3b forengaging in a notch 32 of the lock cylinder. A spring 33 normally swingsthe lever in a direction engaging the tooth in the notch which thereuponserves to hold the lock n the unlocked position of Fig. 3.

The arm 24 is held in the coin retaining position by a spring 34anchored at its bottom end and having its top end engaged with alaterally projecting portion 35 of the arm. A tooth 36 carried by thearm extends into a recess 38 in the lock cylinder. A coin held in theposition shown in Figs. 3 and 5 prevents entrance of the feeler into thecoin channel, thereby preventing the tooth 3i) from entering the notch32, with the result that the key cylinder is free to turn to 3 thelocking position of Fig. 4. During this movement the cam shoulder ill ofthe recess 38 engages the tooth 36 and swings the arms 2li outwardly,thus releasing the coin.

Disposed beneath the coin channel or slot is a coin return chute d2 openat the front e3, and rearwardly and laterally of the chute i2 is a coinreceiving chamber dit, the Wall 5 ci the chute providing a partitionbetween the chute and chamber. The lock illustrated is normally in theunlocked position of Figs. 2 and 3 and when coins 23 smaller thantwenty-live cent coins are inserted through the coin slot i3 they dropstraight down into the return chute as illustrated in Fig. 2. Thefollowing described mechanism is provided for deflecting the twenty-fivecent coins into the coin receiving chamber it when they a-re releasedfrom the end E2 of the arm 2.

Pivoted at t9 to a plate 46, supported on the lock frame 'i at d8, is amember 59 having a laterally extending free end 52 in the plane oi thecoin slot. A link 5d connects the member 5G with a plate 55 keyed torotate with the lock cylinder. When the lock is in the unlocked position(Fig. 2) the end 52 of the member 5! is disposed to one side ci the coinslot. When the lc-ck is in the locked position (Fig. 5) the end 52 isdisposed beneath the coin slot in position to intercept the coin anddeflect it rearwardly into the coin receiving chamber Gli.

It will now be apparent that coins smaller than twenty-ve cent coinsinserted into the lock will drop straight through the coin slot and bereturned to the patron as illustrated in Fig. 2. twenty-ve cent coininserted into the coin slot will be intercepted by and supported on theshoulder 2i] and end 22 of the arm 2d. When the lock is turned to thelocked position (Fig, 5) the me i-- ber 52 is brought to a positionbeneath the coin and the end 22 is Withdrawn to release the coin. Thecoin thereupon drops onto the member 52 and is deected into the coinchamber as illustrated in Fig. 5. A protective housing 58 mounted on thelock frame surrounds and protects the coin deflecting mechanism.

Having thus disclosed my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

l. A coin controlled lock, comprising a locking bolt mounted formovement to and from locking and released positions, means including alatch normally retaining the bolt in one of said positions, meansproviding a coin receiving channel in the lock, means providing a coinreturn chute directly beneath the channel and a coin receiving chamberlaterally thereof, means operatively associated with the bolt anddisposed in the channel above the coin return chute for intercepting andholding a coin of predetermined size but ineffective to intercept a coinof smaller size and prevent its passage downwardly into the return chutewhen the bolt is in said one position, means including a feeleroperative on a coin thus intercepted for rendering said latchinoperative, means operatively associated with the bolt for releasingthe intercepted coin when the bolt is moved from said one position tothe other position, and means movable to coin deiiecting position bymovement of the bolt to said other position to intercept the releasedcoin and deflect it into said laterally disposed chamber.

2. The coin controlled lock defined in claim 1 in which return movementor" the bolt moves the last named means away from said coin deilectingposition.

References Cited in the file oi this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 515,437 Meyer Feb. 27, 1894 930,457 Buck Aug. 10, 19091,119,879 Rowse Dec. 8, 1914

